Monitor Madness!

Do Ewe remember growing up with hall monitors & lunchroom monitors? Their job was to "keep an eye out" for us in some designated area. The world of nature also has a "Monitor", according to legend, to "keep an eye out" for crocodiles, standing on their hind legs. Monitor Lizards are large reptiles that are located near various bodies of water all across Asia & in the jungles of Africa. They will stand on their hind legs to "monitor" approaching predators.


My Mom taught me it was OK to stick my tongue out!

Small reptiles & mammals Beware-Ewer life "Monitor" is here!

 The largest of the Monitor Lizards is the famous Komodo Dragon, located in Indonesia on an island that bears its name. It is the largest lizard in the world & is believed to carry a fairly weak venom. It also has bacteria in its saliva, which eventually poisons its prey, if it's fortunate enough to escape its powerful jaws. Dragons grow to about 10 ft. long, & weigh up to 300 pounds.

Special "K" in the morning keeps me healthy.

I'm a real "Stand-Up" Guy! The food goes down easier.

Birds of a feather flock together. We're big, bad, & beautiful!

Most species of Monitor Lizards are carnivorous, with a diet consisting of small reptiles, birds, eggs, & small mammals. Fruit & vegetation are also on the menu for some species, depending on their habitat. Monitor Lizards are also extremely versatile & are very adaptable to different environments.

I don't want to hear any "Tongue & Cheek" remarks!

Swallowing prey requires me to "Open Wide"!

 The Monitor Lizard females lay their eggs in tree stump hollows, & then proceed to protect the eggs by covering them with dirt. They lay up to 30 eggs, only a few of which are expected to survive. Monitors are considered to be intelligent, especially since they "Monitor" & survey their surroundings for predators & prey.


I'm just "blue" over losing so many of my eggs!

"EGG"-cellent location to be born!

Sheep aren't as versatile as the Monitor Lizards, & can't stand up as well on their hind legs. Instead, they have a Shepherd who stands up & "monitors" all potential predators for them.



Don't Ewe worry about predators! I got Ewer back!



We feel safe in the "Lunchroom" of our Shepherd!

Enjoy the freedom that comes from knowing that the Good Shepherd is watching out for EWE. Fear not, for He's monitoring Ewer travels today & everyday from this day forward!

"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil & the good". Proverbs15:3





Sheep Sense!

By nature, sheep are very vulnerable to various dangers that lurk about. Sheep have a strong "Flocking Instinct" & they will run from anything that frightens them. Sheep clearly look for safety in larger numbers of sheep. Predators do have a more difficult time catching prey, especially when a flock bands together for protection.


Ewe guys stick together & we'll be a whole lot safer!



Keep Ewer eyes open! Ewe never know what's out there!

How about leaving the flock for lunch?

In order to stay out of trouble , sheep rely heavily on their senses. The first sense they rely on is their sense of vision. Sheep's eyes are located more on the side of their heads, enabling them to have a much wider field of vision. This is actually an advantage for a prey animal, enabling it to quickly scan its surroundings for potential danger. However, sheep also have poor depth perception, which also proves to be a hindrance to them, & forces sheep to examine items around them more carefully for specific details.

Don't Ewe try to sneak up on me!

Peek-a-Boo! "EYE" see Ewe!

Sheep's sense of hearing is the next sense they rely on for survival.  Sheep possess an excellent sense of hearing. The sound actually arrives at both ears at different times, enabling sheep to amplify sounds with pinpoint accuracy. Sheep actually become extremely frightened with loud noises, which trigger stress-related hormones that make the sheep nervous. A calming voice from the Shepherd will restore sanity & peace of mind to the sheep.



Ewe can speak now! I'm all ears!

I can hear clearly now, the noise is gone!(And Don't Ewe Forget it!)

Wait, I think I think heard something!

The next sense that sheep possess, is their phenomenal sense of smell. Sheep have an olfactory system that is more highly advanced than that of humans. Sheep's sense of smell assists them in several ways. First, sheep are able to detect predators with their sense of smell. Next, smell also helps ewes locate their lambs, & guides rams in locating ewes in heat. Finally, a sheep's sense of smell assists them in locating the best foods to eat, as well as water to drink. Sheep will actually attempt to face into the wind, using their sense of smell to their fullest advantage.

I smell something Delicious!

I smell something "Fishy" here!

The Nose Knows!

Sheep's final two senses are taste & touch. A sheep's sense of taste will help them in distinguishing the type of food to eat. A sheep's sense of touch is experienced through the sheep's mouth , lips, & possibly ears. A sheep's body lends little to touch, since it is covered with wool or coarse hair. However, body contact between a ewe & its lamb is very helpful to the bonding process. It has also been discovered that flocks of sheep that have close body contact are generally calmer.



All this body contact makes me feel safer! Do Ewe see what I mean?

Come on Mom, are Ewe sure it's not time to eat yet?

Sheep have been equipped with senses that will help them to survive as a prey animal. The Shepherd provides additional protection, guidance, & leadership for the sheep, which help them to make "perfect sense" of their lives. 

With the Shepherd, "Life is Good", & makes perfect SENSE!

Enjoy Ewer day today, trusting that the Shepherd will help Ewe to make perfect "sense" of Ewer life!


"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, & lean not on you own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, & He shall direct your paths."
Proverbs 3:5,6



Top Ten Animal Moms-3!

Alligators are my next choice for my "Top Ten" list of Animal Moms. Ewe wouldn't think anything cold-blooded could make a "gushy" list, but Alligators break the mold! An Alligator Mom first prepares a mound for 3 days, using her mouth & front paws to gather both dry & wet vegetation for the nest. Then she hollows out the center, where she will lay her 20-70 eggs & begin the 9-10 week incubation period. This mound is protected fiercely by Mom, & she even grunts to the babies in the mound, to ascertain the time of their hatching & departure from the mound.! She then gathers the babies in her mouth & carries them into the water. Mom will watch the babies while in the water for 1 year. Now that's supervision!


I'm one bad Mama if Ewe mess with my baby gators!

I just broke out of my Nest Egg!

Thank Ewe for nominating me for Ewer "Top Ten" List!

The Giant Panda is my next choice for the "Top Ten" list of Animal Moms. Giant Panda Moms weigh up to 250 lbs., & give birth to one or two 3.5-4 ounce babies! These tiny babies need a great deal of nurturing & care from Mom, since they are literally helpless on their own. Mom will nurture them for approximately 18-24 months, while at the same time, attempting to satisfy her own voracious appetite of eating 12-15 hours a day. That's dedication Mom, however, please be careful not to roll over on ewer babies. 


Isn't my cub the Cutest?

I definitely need a "Top Ten" Mom to care for me!

As a cub, each day Ewe got to take Ewer "Licks"!

I want my MOMMY!

My next choice for my "Top Ten" list of Animal Moms is the Hedgehog. Imagine giving birth or 4 or 5 "hoglets" or babies, that are covered with spines! Ouch! Fortunately, the hoglets have soft spines at birth & they don't stiffen until 36 hours after birth. This Mom must raise these babies as a single Mom, & her hoglets are born helpless! They are totally dependent on Mom,with their eyes & ears closed at birth.

We make Great Pets! Try us, Ewe will like us!

Do Ewe know the phone numbers of any babysitters?

I have very "SHARP" Kids!

 My final candidate for my "Top Ten" list of Animal Moms is the mother Grizzly Bear. Female Grizzlies give birth to between 1-4 cubs, with an average of two cubs per pregnancy. They give birth in their dens, where they care for their cubs until spring, when they finally introduce them to the outside world. Moms then proceed to feed, protect, & train their cubs for a 2 year period, preparing them for life on their own. Their loyalty to their cubs is documented in Scripture in Proverbs 17:12;" Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly." This Mom will fight for Ewe!

Ewe don't want to mess with Our Mom !

We are like two peas in a pod!

Ewe mess with my cubs & Ewe will die!

Sheep make for very attentive Moms after the springtime birth of their lambs.They nurse lambs 1-2 times per hour for the first couple of weeks of their new lives. Lambs also like to sleep as close to Mom as possible. Mothering lambs is definitely "Labor Intensive"! Wouldn't EWE agree?


I Love Ewe little Lamb!

Ewe can't say enough about the impact that Moms have in our lives! Thanks again for all the thankless things that Ewe do!


"She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness." Proverbs 31:26

Top Ten Animal Moms-2!

Koala bears are my next choice for my "Top Ten" list of Animal Moms. A Koala mother mostly remains in its treetop home, while giving birth to its quarter inch baby known as a "joey". A joey requires a great deal of care, born earless, blind, & hairless, & confined to a life of drinking milk in its mother's pouch. After 6 months in its mother's pouch, the joey crawls out & clings to its mother's back. Now that's up close & personal mothering at its best!

A Koala Mom has her kids "hang all over her"!

I Love Ewe Mommy!

Orangutans are my next choice for my "Top Ten" list of Animal Moms. Orangutans only have children every 8 years, so they view motherhood with anticipation. Their infants are very dependent at birth, clinging to their mother's belly for the first 4 months! This takes extreme dedication on the part of the Mom, since she has a "constant companion"  for up to 2 years. This becomes even more challenging for Mom, since she builds a new nest every day in the trees, & up to 30,000 in her lifetime! The last reason I chose Orangutans is because they will breastfeed their infants for up to 5 years! Now that's commitment!


We are Family! We Hang Together!

I Love Ewe MOMMY! I love Ewe too, Baby!

Octopus Moms are my next candidate for the "Top Ten" list of Animal Moms. I selected them due to the self-sacrifice they display while waiting for their eggs to hatch. Female octopuses lay between  50,000-200,000 eggs, depending on their species. Mom will group & string their translucent eggs up under the overhangs of rock & coral. Mom will then protect them from predators until they hatch. This takes so long that Mom will be forced, at times, to consume  her own arms in order to keep from starving to death. When she finally leaves, she is in such a weakened state, that she is often killed by opportunistic predators. Now that's sacrificial love!


Being a Mom can "Consume" Ewe!

I learn "transparency" at an early age!

Thousands of us are protected by our Mom!

Sheep enjoy staying in close proximity to their mothers & to one another. Lambs especially bond with their mothers right after birth. They also have the Shepherd to help in their maturing process.

We stick close to Mama for obvious reasons.

There's no better place to be on earth, than with my MOM!

Another Shout out to all of the "Moms" in our lives, that sacrifice so much for their loved ones day in & day out! God Bless Ewe ! 


"Her children rise up & call her blessed; Her husband also, & he praises her:" Proverbs 31:28